Cooling unit for refrigerating apparatus



Sept.' 19, 1933. l F. R. wes-r y 1,927,510

v COOLING UNIT FOR REFRIGERATING PPRATUS Filed oct. 8, 1926 I 'MKM ATTORNEY.

Patented Sept. 19, 1933 COOLING UNIT Foa nEFmGEnAmG APPARATUS Frank R. West, Detroit, Mich. Applicaticn october s, 192s. iseml'No. 140,254`

13 Claims.

This invention relates to a cooling unit for I refrigerating apparatus and has to do particularly with the provision of a novel and extremely simple low side or grid and the manner of positioning and supporting the same within the cabinet of the refrigerating apparatus.

With the commercial success of domestic refrigerating units assured many atempts have been made towards the provision of simple, compact and relatively inexpensive domestic refrigerating units. The majority of attemptsl towards the v provision of such simple and compact units have resulted in a proportionate decrease in efliciency.

It is the object of the present invention to provide a cooling unit which is of an eilcient but extremely simple, compact and inexpensive design, and which unit is preferably placed at the top of the refrigerating cabinet to simulate the refrigerating system prevailing in top icers, the design and shape of the unit itself being such as to assist in the setting up of proper air circulaton. A further ob'ject of the present invention is the provision of Aa cooling unit of one-piece construction; in other words, a cooling unit formed ,of a single hollow casting which is so formed as to receive a liquid yrefrigerant and to provide a suitable header therefor to permit of proper evaporation.

A further feature of the invention is the de- Asign of the one-piece cooling unit wherein the ice cube pans lor other sharp freezing pans may be supported directly by the top of the unit and positioned by the header. By this arrangement no separately formed or defined sharp freezing chambers are necessary, but the bottom and one side of the sharp freezing pans or containers are in direct heat conducting relation with the portion of the cooling unit containing the refrigerant and the portion of the unit where evaporation is taking place. Thus no pipes or separate passageways are required, and this one-piece cooling unit entirely does away with all soldering an the formation of numerous joints.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a refrigerating cabinet provided with my unitary cast cooling unit illustrating the novel method of supporting and positioning the same within the refrigerator.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken transversely of Fig. 1 showing the preferred form of my novel -cooling unit and manner of positioning and supporting the sharp freezing container thereon.

Fig. 3 is fragmentary sectional view of a portion of the evaporator showing float valve structure for maintaining the level.

Although my novel unitary cooling unit may be eiiiciently utilized as a cooling unit in any type lof domestic refrigerating apparatus, such cooling unit is preferably adapted to be used with refrigerator cabinets of thetype simulating the 69 form of the ordinary ice boxes known as top icers. In other words, my device is particularly adapted to that type of cabinet wherein the absorbing medium is positioned centrally at the (top of the cabinet so as to more eiciently set up and maintain a proper circulation of air.

In the drawing this refrigerating cabinet may be generally designated 1, and may be provided at the base thereof with a suitable chamber 2 for receiving any suitable refrigerating apparatus. 70 The food and cooling chambers are combined in one, and may be designated 3, and the main body portion of such chamber 3 may be provided with suitable shelves as desired for supporting articles to be cooled.

My unitary cooling unit may be generally designated 4 and the base portion is preferably rectangular in shape whereby it may be loosely mounted as a unit on brackets 5, secured tothe walls of the refrigerator cabinet. The cooling unit itself is a single one-piece hollow casting L-shapedl in cross section with the long leg 6 of the L positioned horizontally, and the short ieg 'Z of the L standing upright to form a header. In operation the liquid refrigerant is preferably S5 maintained at a level approximately coincident with .the upper surface of the horizontal leg. This header 7 is relatively short and the main body of the cooling unit being fiat and having large cubic "displacement, occupies a very small space and may be inserted at the extreme top portion of the refrigerator cabinet. The header '7 is preferably positioned adjacent the back wall of the refrigerator and spaced therefrom whereby to form a baille or deector for positively causing circulation of the air currents. An inlet 8 for the refrigerant is preferably positioned at one side of the front wall of the horizontal leg 6 and, as illustrated, may be connected 7 with a suitable capillary tube 9, which capillary l tube is particularly adapted for the feeding of the liquid refrigerant to a cooling unit of the iiooded type. By means of this capillary tube all floats and all other restricting and level maintaining devices are done away with, and such 10 capillary tube may be of such size and length corresponding to the capacity of the cooling unit and operating pressure of the-compressor whereby to positively feed the correct amount of refrigerant to maintain the proper level during the no refrigeration cycle, and at the same time permitting equalization of pressure but preventing any material back ow of the refrigerant in either a liquefied or gaseous condition during the off cycle.

This capillary tube 9 not only restricts the now of refrigerant, but effects the positive feeding thereof by capillary action. An outlet 10 is preferably connected to the top of the header 'I and at the opposite end of the cooling unit fromthe inlet 8. This inlet 10 is of ordinary form and may be connected to a suitablecompressor (not shown). The capillary tube 9 maybe connected to any suitable condenser (not shown).

In Fig. 3 I have shown a conventional float valve unit which may be used to maintain a constant level of refrigerant within the header independently of any size or proportioning of the compressor.

A very important feature of this invention is the fact that the cooling unit is an integral hollow construction, and is not shaped or formed to provide positively defined sharp freezing chambers. Instead, the top surface of the horizontal leg 6 is adapted to directly receive suitable sharp freezing containers 11, which may be freely positioned directly on such upper surface. The header 'l serves as a stop for these sharp freezing containers. By this arrangement, the bottompart of each container is in direct heat conducting relation with' the critical heat transfer surface of the cooling unit. In other words, the level of the liquid refrigerant being approximately at the surface of the cooling unit which supports the containers, the bottoms of the containers will be at the evaporation level. The rear parts of the container will be adjacent the header 7, and will also be directly cooled by the evaporation of the liquid refrigerant therein. Furthermore, as the air currents rise from the food chamber to the space between the header '7 and the refrigerator wall, such currents will be positively circulated and cooled whereby they will be passed over the surface of the contents of the containers 11, and materially assist in the freezing of such contents by convection and evaporation.

The upper surface of such leg 6 is preferably corrugated or provided with suitable small projections wherebyrto position the containers 11 away from at contact with such upper surface of the leg 6. This freely supporting of the containers 11 materially does away with freezing and sticking of the containers which has been an inherent defect in sharp freezing chambers and containers of the prior art, the forming of the frost at the front and along the supporting shelves of such prior art structure making it sometimes impossible to remove the containers, or trays, without closing down the refrigerating apparatus and defrosting the cooling unit.

A suitable drip pan 12 is positioned beneath the unitary cooling unit and such drip pan preferably slopes towards the center and is provided with a suitable tray 13 whereby to receive any moisture of condensation. Such drip pan and.

tray will have very little use except during the defrosting operation, and I preferably locate the same immediately beneath the cooling unit instead of conducting the condensed moisture through suitable pipes which would extend down through the bottom of the refrigerator and thus detracting materially from the efiiciencyoffthe the refrigerator walls.

It will thus be seen that I have provided a unitary hollow cooling unit which is not only shaped to cause positive circulation with the a'ir currents, and toI effect efncient freezing of the contents of the sharp freezing containers, butLwhich is so formed as to do away with all expansion vsuch refrigerant as contained in the main drum or header. By this arrangement I have found that it is possible to freeze ice cubes and other contents ofthe sharp freezing chamber in much less time than has heretofore been possible where the heat absorbing medium has been circulated from the header and around the sharp freezing chamber or chambers.-

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. A cooling unit for a refrigeratingsystem comprising a relatively nat and hollow L-shaped shell, the one leg of the L forming a header for conducting the evaporated gases therefrom.

2. A cooling unit for refrigerating systems comprising an L-shaped unitary shell, the one leg of the shell being horizontally positioned and adapted to receive and support sharp freezing containers, and the other leg forming a header for receiving and conducting the evaporated gases.

3. A cooling unit for refrigerating systems comprising an L-shaped unitary shell, the one leg of the shell being horizontally positioned and adapted to receive and support sharp freezing containers, and the other leg forming a header for receiving and conducting the evaporated gases and for positioning the sharp freezing containers supported on the horizontal leg.

4. A cooling unit for refrigerating systems comprising an L-shaped unitary evaporator, the one leg of the evaporator being horizontally positioned and adapted to receive and support sharp freezing containers, and the other leg forming a header for positioning the sharp freezing containers supported on the horizontal leg, said header leg being formed and positioned within the refrigerating cabinet whereby to causeV circulation of the air upwardly around the back of the cooling unit, and then towards the front and over the open sharp freezing container.

5. A refrigerating unit comprising a one-piece hollow cooling unit including a header, and a capillary tube for restricting and controlling the feed of the refrigerant to said cooling unit and for assisting in maintaining the level of the refrigerant therein at the junction-of the main body of the cooling unit and said header.

6. A cooling unit for refrigerating systems comprising a unitary hollow casting, the main, body thereof being relatively at, a header rising from said fiat portion, and means for maintaining the refrigerant in said unit at the level of the top surface of said fiat portion.

7. A cooling unit for refrigerating systems comprising a unitary L-shaped hollow evaporator, the one leg of the L being relatively large and flat and positioned horizontally, and the other leg forming a header, and means for maintaining the level of the refrigerant at approximately the level of the upper surface of the horizontal leg.

8. A cooling unit for refrigerating systems comprising an L-shaped hollow evaporator, the one leg of the L being relatively large and fiat and positioned horizontally, and the other leg forming a header, means for maintaining the level of the refrigerant at approximately the level of the upper surface of the horizontal leg, the said horizontal leg being adaptedto receive, and the other leg being adapted to position the sharp freezing containers.

9. A cooling unit for refrigerating systems comprising a unitary hollow casting, the main body of such casting being relatively large and thin to present a large thin body of liquidrefrigerant, and a header rising from said unit adapted to receive and conduct away the evaporated gases.

.10. A cooling unit for a domestic refrigerating apparatus consisting solely of a one piece hollow casting, which provides a chamber for holding liquid volatile refrigerant in a concentrated body, said casting being formed with a large flat surface for directly receiving sharp freezing containers, an inlet connected directly to the casting and means connected directly to said inlet for maintaining the level of the refrigerant at substantially the level of said large at surface.

11. ln evaporator for refrigerating systems, comprising a hollow evaporator provided with a at top to directly receive and support sharp freezing containers, a body of volatile refrigerant .within said hollow evaporator, means for maintaining the level of said refrigerant at substantially the level of said flat top, and a header portion forming a part of said evaporator and extending above said at top for receiving and conducting away the evaporated gases.

12. A cooling unit for refrigerating systems,

'comprising a unitary hollow evaporator, the main body thereof being relatively flat and containing a body of volatile refrigerant, a header formed as a part of said hollow evaporator and adapted to receive the evaporated gases from said body of refrigerant, and means for maintaining the refrigerant in said evaporator at substantially the level of the top surface of said flat portion.

13. A cooling unit for refrigerating systems of the type adapted to freeze the contents of sharp freezing chambers and to generally cool the food chamber, comprising a single unitary casting adapted to receive liquid refrigerant, said unitary casting formed to provide a flat top for receiving the sharp freezing containers and an upwardly extending header for freely conducting the evaporated gases therefrom.

ANK R. WEST. 

